Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/599

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Bucll : Paul Jones 589 of the Monroe Doctrine. Such an agreement is not an approval of, but an exclusion of, foreign interposition." The author endorses President Cleveland's interpretation of the Mon- roe Doctrine in strong terms, and expresses the opinion that "since the action of Congress on President Cleveland's Venezuelan message, it can no longer be contended that Congress has not formally given its approval to the doctrine, and that too, as the opponents of its latest application admit, in its most extreme form. It stands to-day as a cardinal policy of our government." The book seems to have been written from primary sources and the quotations have been made with great care and accuracy. It is remark- ably free from typographical errors and in form and appearance is ad- mirable. John Holladay Latane. Paul Jones, Founder of the Anievican Na7<y. A History. By Au- gustus C. BuELL. (New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 1900. Two volumes, pp. 328, 373.) The life of Paul Jones has been written many times. Incidents in his career have formed the subjects for several thrilling romances, and he is made the hero in many such works of fiction. Some of these later works on his life have evidently been prepared with paste brush and scissors, while others have without doubt been compiled from the more important English publications on the subject. The present work under review shows most careful and painstaking research. Mr. Buell has drawn largely from original material, most of which has not previously been used by other writers. He has not only consulted the various printed collections but has had access to the ar- chives of the United States, of France, and of Russia where much relating to this naval hero is deposited and where few have the courage or desire to resort ; and the result, for completeness of research, leaves little to be done by future writers on the life of Paul Jones. There have been few men who have had such a remarkable career or who have touched life at more points than Paul Jones. "Sailor at twelve, mate at seventeen, captain at twenty in the merchant service of the North Atlantic ; slave-trader. East Indiaman, and Virginia planter — all before he had passed the age of twenty-six, naval-lieutenant at twenty- eight, captain at twenty-nine, and commodore at thirty-two ; at thirty- three the ocean hero of the old world and the new, a knight of France, the most famous sea victor of his time, patronized by kings, petted by duchesses of the blood royal, thanked by Congress, and more than all else, the trusted friend and valued associate of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Lafayette, Hamilton and Morris ; at thirty-six, selected as special envoy to the most aristocratic of courts, charged with the most delicate, difficult and intricate of missions — adjudicator and collector of international claims, without any guide of precedent or any commonly VOL. VI. -39.